Probabilistic modelling of automotive body joints

We investigate the manner in which variability in the quality of spot welds in automotive body joints contributes to variability in joint stiffness. Joint stiffness is defined here as the resistance to rotation of the joint. The aim is to develop a method of investigating problems of this nature using simulation and statistical techniques, and then to quantify the variation for this particular case. The results are validated by ensuring that the accuracy and resolution of the model are appropriate. Here, accuracy is the degree to which the model represents reality and is determined by achieving convergence of results as finer mesh densities are used.